diff --git a/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_key_storage.rs b/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_key_storage.rs
index 9e5a9e5b..aacd32c4 100644
--- a/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_key_storage.rs
+++ b/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_key_storage.rs
@@ -47,11 +47,14 @@ impl FileKeyStorage {
     }
 
     fn get_selected_pubkey(&self) -> Result<Option<Pubkey>> {
-        let pubkey_str = self
+        match self
             .selected_key_directory
-            .get_file(SELECTED_PUBKEY_FILE_NAME.to_owned())?;
-
-        Ok(serde_json::from_str(&pubkey_str)?)
+            .get_file(SELECTED_PUBKEY_FILE_NAME.to_owned())
+        {
+            Ok(pubkey_str) => Ok(Some(serde_json::from_str(&pubkey_str)?)),
+            Err(crate::Error::Io(_)) => Ok(None),
+            Err(e) => Err(e),
+        }
     }
 
     fn select_pubkey(&self, pubkey: Option<Pubkey>) -> Result<()> {
@@ -164,4 +167,15 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert!(resp.is_ok());
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_get_selected_key_when_no_file() {
+        let storage = FileKeyStorage::mock().unwrap();
+
+        // Should return Ok(None) when no key has been selected
+        match storage.get_selected_key() {
+            KeyStorageResponse::ReceivedResult(Ok(None)) => (), // This is what we expect
+            other => panic!("Expected Ok(None), got {:?}", other),
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_storage.rs b/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_storage.rs
index fed1ac67..37bdc2dc 100644
--- a/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_storage.rs
+++ b/crates/notedeck/src/storage/file_storage.rs
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@ impl Directory {
                 .ok_or_else(|| Error::Generic("Could not turn path to string".to_owned()))?;
             Ok(fs::read_to_string(filepath_str)?)
         } else {
-            Err(Error::Generic(format!(
-                "Requested file was not found: {}",
-                file_name
+            Err(Error::Io(io::Error::new(
+                io::ErrorKind::NotFound,
+                format!("Requested file was not found: {}", file_name),
             )))
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/notedeck_columns/src/decks.rs b/crates/notedeck_columns/src/decks.rs
index 1d832bd9..adeabbec 100644
--- a/crates/notedeck_columns/src/decks.rs
+++ b/crates/notedeck_columns/src/decks.rs
@@ -35,9 +35,14 @@ impl Default for DecksCache {
 }
 
 impl DecksCache {
-    pub fn new(account_to_decks: HashMap<Pubkey, Decks>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new(mut account_to_decks: HashMap<Pubkey, Decks>) -> Self {
         let fallback_pubkey = FALLBACK_PUBKEY();
 
+        // Ensure fallback deck exists
+        if !account_to_decks.contains_key(&fallback_pubkey) {
+            account_to_decks.insert(fallback_pubkey, Decks::default());
+        }
+
         Self {
             account_to_decks,
             fallback_pubkey,